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Ezra's Journal
'Arrival at Sandpoint and the Goblin raid...' Well, things have certainly gotten interesting in recent days. One would thing that signing on with a merchant caravan going some twelve hundred miles would have been fascinating, but it seems that the most profit can be found going where most people do not. Don't get me wrong, I am excited to be in a land so steeped in forgotten history, but three months spent going from one village to the next, each looking like a mirror of my own, is enough to make anyone go mad. Sandpoint, though, is a different story. I know that they think of themselves as a small town, but, to me, it is practically a metroopolis. Multiple taverns bustling with people, an actual law keeping organization, a THEATRE? Color me impressed. What's more, the town seems to be growing rapidly. I only hope that what happened during the celebration doesn't halt that growth. Goblins attacked the town at the height of the Temple-opening celebration. Circumstance threw us in with another pair from out of town, Jess and Jasper. Jasper seems like some sort of knight-errant, out to right wrongs and save innocents. Jess, on the other hand, is more of a mystery. She looks like a runaway, but she is a powerful arcanist. More powerful than I, to be sure. During the course of our fight against the goblins, I rescued a girl named Shayliss. One thing led to another, and I ended up in the basement of her parent's store. Her father arrived at a rather inopportune moment, and forcibly removed me from the premises. I had every intention to attempt to court her, but it seems that all she is interested in is the next lay, because the next night she was firmly ensconced in Aldern's lap. Despite the minor romantic setback, and in complete disregard for what I expected, I am growing fond of this town. Even before being hailed as a hero, I was treated with respect. What's more, they desperately need my help. Frankly, their civil defense is a joke. Without us there, the town's devastation could have been catastrophic, simple distraction or no. And they certainly don't have the manpower to investigate the is incident with Nualia's hair and Father Tobyn's missing body. Of almost equal importance is making sure that they are better prepared for the next attack. And let me be clear, there WILL be a next attack. If not from the goblins, then by bandits, or by some two-copper warlord looking to become a despot. The bottom line is that Sandpoint is far too profitable to be so woefully undefended. I only wish that I ahd more than the most basic knowledge of how to fortify a town to withstand an attack. I have general knowledge that I've gleaned through studying history, but nothing like the skillset I would need to apply even my paltry knowledge in a practical manner. 'Reflections...' Gods, what a clusterfuck! On the one hand, I understand where Tsuto is coming from. It's not easy growing up different from everyone else, especially when that difference causes others to spurn you. On the other hand, that's your thrice-damned sister, you sick fuck! I didn't exactly turn out perfectly - Aegis didn't bond to me because I'm a well-adjusted member of the community. I have to wonder, though, what sort of darkness must there be inside a person to wreak the havoc that he has? Everyone keeps talking about saving Nualia, but what about this poor bastard? That girl was loved for her differences, so much so that they are still trying to save her. Shouldn't the one who was driven from the light be saved before the one who left it willingly? Perhaps I simply see too much of myself in him, and it clouds my judgement. Speaking of clouded judgement, I am beginning to realize why Shayliss's parents do not approve of me. After all, my father was an adventurer, and he did the very thing that they are afraid of to my mother. Granted, I have no such intentions, but I also don't know how long I will be in Sandpoint. I like this town, but once this ruckus with the goblins is dealt with, will I be willing to settle down? Doubtful. It would probably be better for her if she ended up with someone like Aldern. I'll tell you, Jess really threw me through a loop when she told me about her condition. I can't for the life of me figure out what might cause it. If she was from my neck of the woods, I'd wager that one of the spirits paid her a visit as a babe. Maybe I should ask Aegis about it. In any case, it's probably a smart play to keep this from the 'holy' types. 'Return to Sandpoint' Wow, so much to try and get down. Let me try and start at the beginning. We fought our way through Thistletop, killed the host of goblins withinm, along with Nualia's lieutenants, and managed to capture the queen bee herself. I can't say I'm very thrilled by that. This woman planned an attack that put the lives of thousands of people in danger. And now, because she may have been under some demonic influence, we're going to try and 'rehabilitate' her, I guess. At least she's going to stand trial for what she did, though that hardly gives me the same satisfaction as meting out her punishment myself. I did manage to slip word to some of the townsfolk that she had been brought in, though. I don't want Father Zantus to try and sweep this whole thing under the rug. On another note, I've been kissed a LOT recently. Well, twice, but that is 200% higher than my normal. Shalalu kissed me on the cheek as a token to give to Ameiko, and then AMEIKO kissed me in order to get Shayliss away from me (apparently the Vinders are trying to set her up with Aldern. I can't really blame them, the man is loaded). There is a logical explanation behind both, but still. I'd ask my new companions for some advice, but it'd be awkward talking to Jess about it, and I doubt the choirboy has a whole lot to offer on the situation. I don't really know what I'd want to do anyway, though. It's just...confusing, you know? We're taking Quink back to Thistletop to check out the Thassilonian ruins we found. On the way, Jess and I have started working on coming up with a translation matrix for the Thassilonian writings we've found so far. We've made some very interesting discoveries! Quink told us that, apparently, Thassilonian writings are based on three magical glyphs. That tracks with what we have discovered so far...sort of. I honestly thought I was looking at...well, best not to write too much down. After all, I'd hate to be scooped on the greatest linguistic discovery of our age by some hack who somehow got his hands on my notes. 'The Cleansing of Thistletop, Part Deux ' So, when we assured Quink that Thistletop was safe, it appears that that was not entirely accurate. But, a pair of harpies, a tentacle monster, and what I can only assume was Nualia's "Whispering Beast" (damn the archaic Issian slang that makes that name comical) later, Thistletop is once again safe. On the way, we met a rather interesting pair of druids, Gaius and Aberforth. Probably the strangest thing about them was that they were an elf and a dwarf, respectively. Don't elves and dwarves usually not get along? These two bickered, but, honestly, it seemed almost like an old married couple or something. Who knows, maybe they are. But hey, I'm not judging. If you want to talk about a non-traditional lifestyle choice, I am spiritually bound to a...well, what AM I bound to, exactly? My working hypothesis is that Aegis is somehow linked to the nature spirits that my people worship alongside the more traditional gods. But that still does not explain what he IS. Maybe I should just ask him sometime... *the proceeding part of the entry is written using Minkaian, spelled phonetically with the Elven alphabet, then put through an atbash cipher* Jess and I have made a great deal of progress in our translation of Thassilonian. I wrote previously that Quink's revelation about the magical runes tracked with our own discoveries. This is still true, but I am now convinced that we have, in fact, only seen examples of writing based on ONE of the runes. The three different sets of writing we have discovered are, in fact, examples of linguistic drift. Jess and I have postulated that the Lamashtu text is the most recent, as Quink believes that the paraphenalia related to the Mother of Monsters was put in after the construction of the observation post. The other two are more difficult to place, but our woriking theory right now is that the map text is the oldest, followed by the Catacombs. As for what the symbol itself might be, I actually think that it is the 'cross and box' found in Thistletop and the map. It is possible that there is some mappable progression, especially since the character seems to fall in the middle of their alphabet. I actually have a crazy, crackpot theory about where Lamashtu comes into all this, based partly on finding that giant's helm. One thing that I find hard to reconcile is that both Shalst and Bak-ra-Khan apparently had temples to Lamashtu, a deity that was heretofore assumed to not be worshipped in Thassilon. But what if the temples were put in place AFTER the fall? One can assume that Thassilonian as a language was not immediately forgotten (indeed, it is almost a certainty, since our magical writings use their runes), and it would explain why worship of the Mother crossed borders - there were none to cross. The next question, of course, is 'if the Thassilonians didn't build it, who did?' After all, the arcitechture still seemed Thassilonian in design, and it is still quite ancient. My theory is that the giants did it. Historically speaking, societies that have a disenfranchised, downtrodden, or enslaved population within their ranks are often destroyed by that very group rising up. If we assume that this happened in Thassilon with what I will henceforth refer to as the Greater Giants, I think it can also be assumed that they might be drawn to the worship of the Mother of Monsters, considering the fact that they themselves are monstrous not only to 'normal' humanoids (which, incidentally, is an incredibly specist term) but also to their own kind. I will obviously need to do a great deal of reserach to either validate or refute this theory, but I think that it has a great deal of promise. Sandpoint and Magnimar I wonder if, after I've become famous, some enterprising soul will want to publish my journals. Obviously, I will have to make some edits and redactions in order to properly frame the narrative. In the meantime, I intend to keep this accounting as forthright as my natural predilection for embellishment will allow. Our recent trip to Magnimar is what got me thinking about my eventual notoriety. We were quite the smash hit at Torabor's gala. The Rune Giant helm that we found was the centerpiece of his exhibit, though my Sihedron Brooch brought it's own measure of critical acclaim. The most interesting thing at the party wasn't one of the artifacts, though. It seems that Justice Ironbriar and Torabor's new bride are more than a little enamored with each other. I caught them sharing an intimate moment as the guests were leaving. It's certainly something to file away for later use, especially if anything concerning my departure from Brevoy manages to make it's way to Varisia. Jasper probably wouldn't approve of blackmail, but I don't particularly approve of being brought up on charges for what Aegis did to that son of a bitch back home. We also received an offer to join the Pathfinder Society. Personally, I'm all for it. The group may not have a great deal of clout here in Varisia, but it is still more than we have alone. Abroad, on the other hand, the Pathfinder Society is a well-known and well-respected organization, and one that can open quite a few doors. If we can help them increase their presence and legitimacy in Varisia, we will be doing the same thing for ourselves, and what's more, they'll probably be grateful for the 'favor'! In more concerning news, Shalelu is apparently in some sort of danger. We received a message from the druids of Thistletop that we should come at once to aid her. She was overdue when we left for Magnimar, but we just assumed that she had been held up in the wilds. Ameiko is understandably distraught by this. I intend to ask if she wishes to accompany us on our rescue mission. I am unsure if she will wish to go, but I know I would want the option, especially if they were (or are) as close as I suspect. After all, if it's all about the ears. . . Speaking of which, I am fairly certain that I have fallen for her much harder than she has for me. I don't think she realizes that I'm not exactly...experienced. I mean, I got got tripped a couple times on my way from Brevoy, but this is far and away the longest and most intense relationship that I have ever had. Now I just have to make sure that she never realizes that what is, for her, a bit of harmless fun is something much more serious for me. On a less angsty note, it seems that the town is unwilling to out and out sell us Chopper's Isle. According to the Mayor, all of the land in town is owned by the town itself, and leased by the citizens. This sounds completely ludicrous to me, though. How does someone own a building, but not the ground that it is sitting on? What happens if you don't pay rent? Does the town seize the land and reimburse you for the building that you own and are now denied access to? The only way that I am agreeing to such a crazy notion is if it is agreed that all rents collected from us will be put into an account - controlled by Sheriff Hemlock - earmarked for the fortification of the town and the training of a militia. Excess monies could released to the town's coffers at the end of each month. Frankly, I am not sure that I wish to live in a town that refuses to properly defend itself. My village didn't have fortifications or anything like that, but we all knew the Grozni Forest (our portion of it, at least) like the back of our hands, and anyone who tried to take what was ours would find themselves fertilizing those old oaks by nightfall. The Rescue of Shalelu I despise goblinoids. They are a scourge upon this world, and bring nothing but destruction and death to everyone and everything around them. But now, NOW, they have brought their foul pestilence upon one who I hold dear, and the havoc that will be wrought upon those of their ilk will be like nothing they have EVER experienced. I will pay ALL of them back for every wound of Shalelu's. I swear this by star and stone, by sea and sky, and by the ever-changing moon. They will BURN. Shalelu has elected to stay in Thistletop while she recuperates. This decision confused and, in my opinion, hurt Ameiko a bit, but I honestly think it to be the best place for her. The druids will take good care of her, and Sandpoint has hardly been restful of late. We rescued another woman, in addition to Shalelu. Her name is Zedkala (henceforth to be referred to as Zee), and apparently she hails from some local tribe known as the Shoanti. Jasper seems to know who they are, though, to hear him tell it, they are a band of savages who barely speak the Common tongue. I find that assertion suspect, if the woman herself is any reflection of her tribe as a whole. She does have some strange notions, though. For instance, while I appreciate the value of oral histories in reconstructing the past (after all, the Issians use it to great effect), I can't understand how she does not see that it is not a reliable source. Whenever possible, we need primary sources, those being people who saw whatever is being researched in person. Secondary sources are acceptable in a pinch - especially if one finds multiple corroborating reports. However, verbal stories form the time of the Thassilonian Empire are so far removed from their primary source that they are unusable as a means of corroboration. I'm sure that there are kernels of truth buried in their stories, but at best they should be used to point a historian in the right direction, and not as a means of actually validating a theory. 'The Not-So-Late Unpleasantness' Ghouls. Thrice-damned, gods-cursed, soul-sucking abominations! Our return to Sandpoint was heralded by none other than that blathering windbag, Titus Scarnetti, demanding to know where we had been, and accusing us of having had some part in the murders that had occured while we were away. After looking everything over, it seemed - to me, at least - that it was Tsuto, returned from the grave. However, new evidence points to the Foxgloves, and Aldern in particular. Aldern didn't seem the type to dabble in Necromancy, but he's the only other one for whom the words carved into the door of the Rusty Dragon. What could possibly have happened? Despite the fact that my jailing was completely uncalled for, it ended up being a rather fortuitous turn of events, in light of Scarnetti's demise at the hands of Aldern's ghouls. Still, I wish I had been able to clear our names on the field of honour, as should be my right. Or at least make the walking moneybag pay a proper weregild. Actually, now that I think about it, the argument could be made that his estate still owes the weregild, and he'd have a hard time fighting it now...you know, unless he also dabbled in necromancy. Category:Journal